


Absolutely Smitten

by MinkyForShort



Series: Lounge AU [1]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bartender Alexander Hamilton, Eliza is a preschool teacher by day, F/M, and a nightclub singer at least three days of the week, club, everyone works at the lounge, lounge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-04-30
Packaged: 2018-10-25 03:54:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10756182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinkyForShort/pseuds/MinkyForShort
Summary: “Okay, okay, I promise,” Alex started, changing the conversation back to their original subject, “I won’t flirt with Eliza Schuyler.”There's one simple rule at Philip Schuyler's bar: Employees and his daughters are a no go. However, will that stop the mutual attraction between Alex, the new bartender, and Philip's middle daughter?





	1. Chapter One

Now Alexander Hamilton had many skills he was proud of. He prided himself on his argumentative nature; he was a natural debater and had put that skill to use in many of his classes at Columbia University. If he’d gotten a black eye a few times by starting arguments outside of class, well, that just acted as proof to him that his opposition couldn’t think of a better argument. Therefore, he won. His writing was another skill he had a great deal of pride in. He had written his way into a scholarship that had helped him get off his tiny island in Nevis, and into a double major in journalism and politics. He hoped to apply his degree to become a political journalist for one of the larger publishing companies in New York. 

One skill he did not have, that he was learning quickly enough, was bartending. 

He had no idea how John had managed into talking him into going for a bartending gig at the place he was working at. Some swanky, high end lounge called Schuyler’s. It was pretty nice, Alex had to admit; a huge step above the usual dives that he’d normally hit. It had a homey atmosphere, tables around plush benches, with a circular dance floor in the middle, a large stage on one end of the room, and a sizable bar on the other. It was definitely a place he’d drink at...if he had the money for it. He had no idea how he managed to bullshit his way through the impromptu interview with the lounge’s owner, Phillip Schuyler himself, and Alex was silently questioning the business experience of the man, who decided to take a chance and give him the job. 

Though it made more sense when he found out that the previous bartender, some schmuck named Charles Lee, had quit due to…”disagreements” with Phillip’s senior bartender. “He was a homophobic piece of shit, and it’s not my fault that his face had an unfortunate run in with a full ice bucket.” John elaborated with a self satisfied shrug, showing him different glasses to serve drinks into. 

So they needed a new person ASAP to help take pressure of John, which he could understand. And, while it wasn’t the post-graduation job he had in mind, it paid relatively well for a starting job. Well enough that he’d actually manage to pay rent on time, and with the realization that his place was only a mere ten minute walk away from the lounge? Well, it seemed almost too good to pass up.

Or, well, at least Alex thought.

***

Day one into his new job, he had made a Bloody Mary with sriracha instead of Worcestershire sauce.

Day two, his manager, Aaron Burr, had to keep him from getting into a fistfight with some racist, drunk asshole who had been telling him to “Stop taking jobs from Americans.” 

Day three, he had to deal with three separate complaints from whiny college students who didn’t like that he had cut them off after roughly six rounds of shots.

On Day four, he was about one complaint about a “weak long island iced tea” away from just throwing in the towel and quitting, debating if he could get his job at the college library back.

On Day five, however, he decided that this was the greatest job in the world. Because on that day, he saw Elizabeth Schuyler for the very first time.

***

Before Friday evening, all he had known about the owner’s daughters was that he had three of them: the eldest, Angelica worked as a legal assistant, the middle, Eliza, was adopted and a preschool teacher, and the youngest, Peggy, the only one he’d met, was in college and the only one who worked at the lounge part time as a waitress. However, a few nights a week, the sisters would put aside some time to come in and perform on stage. Tonight was one of those nights.

Now the lounge would host live entertainment almost nightly. In Alex’s first few days on the job he’d seen 1940s tribute bands, freestyle rappers, violinists, and a oddly catchy, yet disturbing ballad sung by some British dude with crazy eyes. All well received with varying levels of enthusiasm, and all introduced with high energy and flare by Lafayette, the lounge’s exuberant MC. However, the performances that all the patrons seemed to look forward to the most was when Phillip Schuyler’s three daughters would come on stage, and blow every other act Alex had seen so far out of the water with their skillful harmonizing and hypnotizing stage presence. The three sisters would also have solo sets in between their group numbers, and all three of their voices were captivating in different ways. Peggy, was young and full of boundless energy, and she could certainly get the audience excited and on their feet with her fun covers of popular pop songs. Angelica was a presence that would take the attention of everyone in the room, watching enraptured as she belted out high, impossible notes; demanding and powerful, just like her voice, Alex couldn’t help but be a little intimidated by her.

In the case of Eliza, however, her sweet, yet strong voice seemed to have the ability to just draw the audience in; to stop what they were doing, just to watch such a mesmerizing voice come from such a petite body. And Alex...Alex couldn’t help but be drawn in as well. Alex realized he must’ve looked ridiculous, watching her sing as he wipes down the same spot on the bar top, trying to keep the illusion of productivity up. And at the end of her song, it was almost as though the volume and intent of his cheers carried all the way from the back where he was to the stage because he swears...just for a moment...that her eyes found his. That moment felt like an eternity before she took her final bows and left the stage; and he couldn’t be sure if the pink on her cheeks was due to him, or just a mere trick of the spotlights.

***

“Don’t get any ideas, man,” John said aloud from his end of the bar, a warning mixed in with his teasing tone.

Alex just turned to face him, lifting an eyebrow in confusion. “What gave you the idea that I’m having ‘ideas’?” he looked thoughtful for a moment, “Ideas about what?” John just shot him a knowing look.

“Come on, you’re not exactly discreet about your crush on a certain middle Schuyler sister…” he couldn't help but laugh as Alex almost dropped the glass he was washing, a blush on his face. “Mmhm, happens to the majority of the new hires here: someone always develops a crush on one of the sisters.”

“Majority, huh? So that excludes the gay asshole who tends the bar?” Alex replied sarcastically, John just bowed slightly, a shit-eating grin on his face. “Fine, yeah, I think Eliza’s cute...but that does /not/ mean I’m getting ideas.” He slammed the glass down harder than he intended, and let out a small curse as he quickly cleaned up the broken glass. John merely rolled his eyes as he walked over to help.

“I’m just saying this because the boss has a rule: Employees and his daughters are a no go.” he shrugged, “just figured you’d rather hear it from me rather than from Burr...or Schuyler himself.” 

Alex would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little disappointed, but at the same time, he could understand on some level why that rule exists; all three of his daughters were gorgeous, there was no denying that, and they already had to deal with the occasional drunk idiot (as quickly as they were ejected from the club by Herc, the long time bouncer at the club), god knows they didn’t need to deal with employees they’d see on a semi-regular basis trying flirt with them, certainly not broke, recent college grads who has a bad habit of mouthing off to drunk idiots.

“So, I’m assuming Schuyler’s rule doesn’t extend to employees hooking up with each other in that case?” Alex asked with a smirk, watching John’s face turn a not so subtle shade of pink. Only a day or so earlier, he’d opened the storage closet to look for a broom, and instead found John with a certain french MC’s lips latched to his neck. Alex put a hand up placatingly, right before John has a chance to protest or deny whatever Alex had walked into. “Okay, okay, I promise,” Alex started, changing the conversation back to their original subject, “I won’t flirt with Eliza Schuyler.” John gave him a calculating stare before going back to cleaning.

Yeah, Alex will respect his boss’s rule…he doesn’t really have a choice in the matter if he wants to pay his rent on time. Although..maybe it was wishful thinking, but he’s certain that Eliza had glanced over to the bar quite a few times during her visits...and it seemed as though her eyes had a tendency to look for his own? 

Employees aren’t allowed to flirt with the owner’s daughters….but what could he do should one of the owner’s daughters decides to flirt with an employee…


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So...finished with this chapter a little earlier than anticipated. Please enjoy!

Eliza was smitten by the new bartender, and her sisters takes every moment to tease her about it. In their own loving way, of course.

“Hey if you’re not gonna snatch him, I wouldn’t mind taking him for a spin,” Angelica jokes one night as she was helping Eliza with her hair. Eliza had answered by flicking some face powder in her face. “Mature,” she responds, the teasing smile never leaving her face. Peggy skips over, already made up and in her dress for the evening.

“Are we talking about Alex?” she asks cheerfully as she hops onto the counter. “No.” “Yes.” Her older sisters answer at the same time. “Yes, we are,” Angelica starts, “and about how Eliza doesn’t seem to wanna make a move on him,” she pokes Eliza gently on her cheek, “Even though she’s obviously, absolutely smitten by hiiim..” she teases in a sing-song voice.

“I’m not absolutely _anything_ by him..” Eliza insists, despite the blush on her cheeks saying otherwise and her sisters looking entirely unconvinced. “And even if I was...it’s not like I can do anything about it. You know..because of dad’s rule?”

Peggy responds with an eyeroll, “Okay, the three of us know that rule is more of a strong preference than an iron-clad law…” she then shrugs, her voice cheeky, “And besides...the rule is technically the _employees_ aren’t allowed to try and get in our pants..so there’s no rule about _us_ not being able to make a move...see? Loophole that you’re free to abuse!” Peggy finishes her point with a bow, like she’d just given Eliza an amazing gift.

Eliza just rolls her eyes with a sigh. “It’s easy to think that way when you’re not the reason that rule was established in the first place…” She gets up from the makeup chair to check her reflection, trying to ignore her sisters’ concerned, sympathetic looks at the same time.

Angelica approaches her, sharing eye contact through the mirror, “Sweetie, what happened with James was not your fault, you should know that by now…” she says softly to her younger sister, “What he did was slimy and cruel, and he deserved to get his ass thrown out of here for it.” Eliza looks down, a little melancholy, but appreciative of the comforting hand of her sister’s resting on her shoulder. “All I’m saying, is that it’s been almost five years since then...don’t you think you deserve to move on and try again?”

Eliza just huffs out a small laugh as she looks at both her sisters, “And you think I should try again with the new bartender?” Angelica and Peggy just shrug, smiles on their faces. “Look, I appreciate what you guys are trying to do...kinda..but just because I think the new guy is, ahem, kinda cute..” she mutters out that part, “doesn’t mean that he in anyway has a mutual interest in me.” Peggy just lets out a snort. Ohhh if only her older sister had known the juicy gossip that John had shared with her only yesterday about his new co-bartender….

“Well, you’ll never know unless you talk to him..” 

***

Eliza was sitting at one of the small tables in her classroom, doodling idly as her students took their afternoon nap. The quiet gives her a little time to think about what her sisters had told her...and about the new bartender at her father’s lounge. She couldn’t lie and say she wasn’t a _little bit_ attracted to him...Alexander. He just has this certain air about him that she couldn’t help but feel drawn to. His dark eyes, always looking as though they’re full of fire and life in spite of the dark bags under his eyes. His tan skin, his long hair that she just wanted to run her fingers though, his cute goatee...and she could daydream for hours about his hands on her body, holding her, touching her..

She shakes the images out of her head. Not appropriate to think about with a room full of toddlers napping at her feet. She decides to return her focus to her doodling, only to flush bright pink when she realizes that she was doodling Alexander with small hearts around him.

“Ugh..get it together Schuyler,” she mutters to herself, running her fingers through her hair, “He’s your father’s employee, that automatically makes it a bad idea..” but even as she tries to talk herself out of her feelings, she can’t help but hear this small voice in the back of her head that sounds exactly like her little sister’s; telling her that she’s worrying too much, that she should take a chance, that how could she know it would end disastrously if she never even takes the time to really talk to the guy? Eliza just groans as she thumps her head on the table, trying to block out the voice. She couldn’t...she shouldn’t. How could she? After the mess that was her relationship with James, she had closed herself off to trying to form real relationships outside from the occasional hookup, and even _those_ were few and far between. She just became afraid of getting hurt like that again, of becoming _that_ vulnerable with another person again…

And yet...even though she had yet to really speak with him aside from the occasional “Hello” and “Goodbye,” Alexander seems to fill her with a certain warmth...a warmth that she hadn’t ever even felt when things were apparently going well with James. 

The way his eyes seem to brighten when she came in for her performance days, how he always seems to pause what he was doing just to listen to her practice her set, how his cheers manage to carry over everyone else’s in the crowded audience as she was taking her bows...maybe she isn't ready for a real relationship just yet. However, that doesn't mean that there was any harm in at least getting to know him..

Eliza seems satisfied with her reasoning, her eyes glancing quickly to the clock. It is almost time to wake the students from their naps. Though from some of the soft chattering she could hear, quite a few of them had already taken liberty.

Alright then, focus on teaching now, and think about how to break the ice with Alex later.

***

Turns out the opportunity would present itself later on that evening. Between one of her student’s parents running a little late to pick them up, and the train having multiple delays, she was running incredibly late herself for warm ups with her sisters. She had pretty much thrown the doors of the lounge wide open as she bolted in, startling quite a few of the staff, who were in the process of getting things all set for opening that evening. She was running breathlessly past the bar when the voice that kept appearing in her daydreams spoke up.

“Wait, Eliza?!” Alex calls after her as she passed him, which made her stop quickly in her tracks. She turned to face him, and saw he was wearing a bit of a soft, amused smile on his face. “Hey..huff..Alex..” she gets out, completely out of breath from running all the way from the subway, “What’s up?” He huffs out a sympathetic sound before pointing at a spot on her cheek.

“I think you have..what is that..fingerpaint?” He squints his eyes to look at the smudge on her cheek. Eliza pulls up the mirror on her phone, and sure enough, there is a noticeable splotch of blue finger paint right there on her cheek. She feels her cheeks flush as she puts her phone away, only to look up in surprise as Alex holds out a slightly dampened cloth to her. “Oh, um, thank you..” she mumbles out shyly as she steps forward to take it from him. Their fingers brush slightly together as she pulls the cloth out of his hand, and she feels her heart give a pleasant thump at the brief contact between them. The two stand in an awkward silence for a moment as Eliza wipes the paint of her cheek. “So..” Alex pipes up after the extended silence, “I’m guessing it was finger painting day at school today?” Eliza responds with a small tilt of her head, “Oh, right, John told me that you were a preschool teacher...I don’t just happen to randomly /know/ that, cuz that’d be a little weird...kinda like how I must be coming off now..” Alex flushes slightly as his rant trails off, smiling sheepishly at Eliza. 

But all Eliza can do is smile as she tries to keep her soft laughter at bay. She decides to throw him a bone. “Well, we do finger painting almost every day...this day just turned out to be a little messier..” She gestures to her cheek, “..than usual.” Alex seems to relax visibly as Eliza talks to him, his smile becoming a little assured. Eliza quickly realizes that the two are just standing there, smiling like dorks, and that she they must look ridiculous. She hands back the cloth as she notices quite a few bottles on the counter along with a shaker and cups. “Still practicing drink recipes?” she asks as she tries to determine what he’s trying to make. John had told them that Alex was picking up on the standard cocktails relatively well; classics like Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Margaritas and regular Martinis, but he was still struggling, to the frustration of some of their customers and Alex’s himself, with some of the more extravagant drinks.

Alex groans, answering her question. “I swear, drinking these mixes are sure as hell a lot easier than making them. A customer kept sending back their Sour Melon Skittle because it ‘tasted like overly sour crap’” He says in quotations, “And goddammit I am going to get it right so if they come back tonight, they can shove their complaints up their ass..” Alex then remembers who he’s talking to, and the blush returns on his cheek, “Sorry..that wasn’t exactly professional, was it?” Eliza, however, just looks like she’s trying to keep her laughter bitten back.

“Trust me, I understand,” she responds, leaning her arms on the counter, “When I was still in school, I’d work the bar part time, so I get how aggravating some of the customers can get.” She then grabs some of the bottles on the counter, the ones needed to make the drink he mentioned. She leans over the counter to grab a highball glass, fills it with ice, then proceeds to measure out what was needed then pouring them into the glass, gives it a stir and hands it to a rather awed looking Alex, “Try that.” He takes the drink from her hand and gives it a small sip, and his face lights up as he looks back at her. Eliza just gives him a small shrug, “It’s the sour raspberry liqueur you need to be careful with; too much and you end up looking like the kid on the warhead packaging.” Alex gives a sound of understanding as he gave the drink one more sip before setting it aside.

“Well if all your drinks are as good as that, then you must’ve been a big hit behind the bar.” Eliza just rolls her eyes, “Hey I’m serious, you make great drinks plus you’re absolutely gorgeous-” He stops right there. Bad, bad idea. “So, um, would you mind writing down how you make it? Just so I remember for the future?” Eliza gets out of her brief daze to respond.

“Oh! Yeah, sure..” she mutters out as she grabs one of the napkins and a pen. As she finishes writing down her recipe, she looks at the napkin for a moment, debating if she wanted to add anything else...She’s broken out of her daze when she hears Peggy calling for her from the stage, looking a little annoyed at her dallying, yet a little smile on her cheeks as she sees who she’s standing near. Deciding to take a chance, she jots down one more thing before sliding it back towards Alex. She makes her way back to the stage before she’s able to see him pick it up and read her extra note. 

_In case you’re interested in some more of my drink tutorials…_ with her number listed right next to it.

If she happens to hear a little whoop coming from the bar, well, she would take that as a positive sign that he’d be taking her up on that offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, special thanks to one_golden_sun and quantum-oddity. And to everyone who read and enjoyed this fic.
> 
> You're all wonderful!! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Oh wow! This was my first fic...ever. I hope all y'all enjoyed it so far!! I hope to have Chapter 2 up by the middle of next week.
> 
> Special thanks to one_golden_sun for being my beta, and quantum-oddity for going back and forth with me for ideas for this AU. Love you both <33
> 
> Kudos and comments feed my life energy <3


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